Emporia

R.I.P. 1009 Mechanic Street, Emporia, KS

See the five pretty little houses all in a row (one is behind the trees to the left)? Sadly, they no longer exist.

1009 Mechanic was the nicest of the bunch. Indeed, it was particularly nice. The interior was rich with never-painted trim and doors, original lighting, wood floors, and spacious rooms. It was a fine house.

It was sad to see the house slowly smashed apart.

And sadder still to see this. All that you see is/was a wealth of fine old-growth lumber. We will never again see such quality lumber.

The five house were leveled by the city of Emporia for…a parking lot. I feel like I am in a 1970s time-warp.

While the main commercial street is a block to the west, Mechanic is (or rather was) a residential street in this area.

Funny, but I have always easily found a convenient parking spot whenever I stop by any business on the main street.

Sigh.

Parking lots do not make for great cities. Density and housing does.

NOTE: Almost 30 years ago Portland, Oregon, stopped allowing new parking lots in the downtown core. They just said no.